Self-aligning door-knob latch set



Sept. 25. 1956 R. c. CERF 7 2,764,445

1 SELF-ALIGNING DOOR-KNOB LATCH SET Filed Aug. 4, 1955 2 Shets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

v s--'| 24 33A 4 2| '13 -l Ir:-T--raaaaau I :1 v l4 I 20 i l4 2 2 2 INVENTOR' ROBERT C. CERF ATTORNEY Sept. 25, 1956 R. c. CERF 2,764,445

SELFALIGNING DOOR-KNOB LATCH SET Filed Aug. 4, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 6.

INVENTOR ROBERT C. CERF ATTORNEY 2,764,445 SELF-ALIGNING DOOR-KNOB LATCH SET Application August 4, 1955, Serial No. 526,436 4 Claims. (Cl. 292337) This invention relates to a door-knob latch set having self-aligning spindle bearings.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple, easily mounted, knob-operated passinghrough latch for a door. Another object is to provide simple means for rotatably mounting a door knob having a neck extending into a rosette, for rotation relative thereto. Another object is to provide a simple knob-operated latch set in which a spring latch is retracted by about one-quarter turn in either direction of the spindle by either of the knobs. A further object is to provide an assembly of a spring latch, operating spindle, a pair of knobs, and a pair of rosettes having self-aligning bearings for said spindle, which assembly is simple and requires a minimum of installation eiiort. These and other objects are attained by my invention, which will be understood from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly my new door-knob latch set;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the neck of the left knob taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a knob neck plug;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the plug shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the left from the position of the line 7--7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an endelevational view of the right hand rosette from the position of the line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the self-aligning bearing plate with spring latch anchoring studs; and

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the base plate with connecting posts and holding tabs, for the right hand rosette.

Referring to the drawings, my latch set consists generally of a pair of knobs 11 (right) and 12 (left) which are operatively connected by a spindle 13 which is onehalf cylindrical in cross-section. The spindle 13 is operatively connected to each of the knobs by means of a plug 14 which is provided with a half cylindrical opening 15, the plug being attached to the neck 16 of each of the knobs 11 and 12 by dimples 17 in corresponding depressions 18 in plugs 14. The plugs 14 are provided with an inwardly directed extension 19 of slightly smaller diameter which serves as a bearing axle 20 in a suitable short sleeve hearing which is a part of the rosette assembly, as will be described. At the inward end of the plug there are provided diametrically opposite e'ars 21 which extend in cross-section, showing hand rosette outwardly from the bearing axle surface of 'the'plug extension 19, being so disposed that they will pass through ear slots 22 in the sleeve bearing 29 provided in the rosette assembly.

The left rosette assembly 24 consists of a conical outer shell 25 whose small diameter is arranged to overlay the neck of the left knob 12. The large opening of the conical member 25 is closed by a base plate 26 which ...United s a s ice is attached at the periphery to the outer shell 25. The base plate 26 is provided with a rim 32 adjacent the inside wall of the shell 25, and has a centrally disposed rectangular opening 27, in which there is fastened a bearing plate 28 having a centrally disposed sleeve bearing 29, preferably integral with the bearing plate 28, and of the proper diameter and length to receive the bearing axle 20 of the plug 14, the length of the sleeve bearing permitting the ears 21 on the plug to pass through the ear slots 22 and engage the inner face of the bearing plate 28. The bearing plate 28 is held to the base plate 26 in position within the rectangular opening 27 by holding tabs 30 cut in the rim 32 of the base plate 26, which engage overlapping extension tabs 28A. The conical outer shell 25 and the base plate 26 are provided with corresponding screw holes 31 which are positioned to engage the anchoring studs 33 mounted on the right rosette assembly;

The right rosette assembly 34 is similar to the left rosette assembly, having similar conical outer shell 35, a base plate 36, having a rectangular opening 37 into which there is loosely fitted a self-aligning bearing plate 38, this bearing plate being of smaller dimensions than the opening 37 and also being provided with a sleeve bearing 39, preferably integral with the plate, and with ear slots 40 arranged through the bearing and the bearing plate to receive the diametrically disposed cars 21 of the right knob plug extension 19. The bearing plate 38 is provided with a center anchoring stud 33A and a pair of side anchoring studs 33B, the center anchoring stud 33A being adapted to engage the anchoring slot 42 at the rear of the spring latch housing 43, and the pair of side anchoring studs 33B being adapted to fit on the two sides of the latch housing 43. The self-aligning bearing plate 38 of the right rosette assembly is disposed in the rectangular opening 37 and movably held by loose tabs 44 extending from the rim 45 of the base plate 36, thus allowing the bearing plate 38 freedom of lateral movement within the limits of the somewhat enlarged rectangular opening 37. Assembly studs 33 are provided on the base plate 36, extending toward the left rosette for engagement by screws 47 in the screw holes 31, the assembly studs being drilled and threaded to receive the screws.

The spring latch bolt unit consists of the spring latch housing 43 which is substantially cylindrical in crosssection. there being an anchoring slot 42 in the inner closed end of the housing adapted to slidably engage the center anchoring stud 33A of the right hand rosette assembly 34. A spindle hole 48 through opposite walls of the spring latch housing 43 is provided, within which the ends of the yoke member 49 are alternatively pressed by the edges of the spindle 13, for retraction of the latch bolt 50. When either end of the yoke member 49 is pressed by the edge of the half cylindrical spindle 13, as by turning the knob in either direction, the bolt 50 is retracted. The retraction of the bolt 50 results from the outward movement of the yoke 49, by a reverse motion mechanism consisting of a connecting lever 51 which is pivoted to the housing 43 by the screw 52 which also holds the parts in place within the housing 43. A compression coil spring 53 presses the latch bolt outwardly and an opposite compression spring 54 presses the yoke 49 in the opposite direction. The latch bolt 50 is free to move inwardly irrespective of the position of the spindle or the yoke because the latch bar 55 attached to the l5a6tch bolt moves parallel to and along side the yoke bar In mounting my latch set on a door, a large hole 57 is drilled through the door, this hole being in diameter slightly less than the outside diameter of the rosette, so that the peripheral edge of each rosette clamps against the margin of the holes on the two sides of the door. A

threaded holes of the assembly studs latch bolt hole 5% connecting at right angles with the main hole is provided, extending inwardly from the swinging edge of the door. The self-aligning bearing plate 38 of the right rosette assembly 34 permits the proper positioning of the spring latch unit relative to the axis of the knob spindle, even though the holes in the door are not precisely positioned. This self-aligning feature of the rosette avoids the binding of the parts after installation and allows them to operate freely because of the flexibility of positioning which the self-aligning hearing plate permits.

in installing the latch unit in a door after drilling, the latch bolt housing 43 is inserted in its hole 58 from the edge of the door, and the right rosette assembly 34 with the right knob 11 and its plug 14 and the half cylindrical spindle 13, assembled with the cars 21 pushed through the ear slots 4% and the spindle 3t) turned to operative rest position, are inserted with the right rosette against the right face of the door. The operating spindle 13 is pushed through the spindle hole in the spring latch unit, and the anchoring stud 33A is inserted in anchoring slot 42 of the latch housing 43. The outer end of the spindle is then inserted in the opening 15 provided in the plug 14 of the left knob 12 and the ears 21 on the left plug being passed through the ear slots 22 of the left rosette assembly 24. The left rosette assembly 24 is then rotated so that the assembly screw holes 31 are adjacent the 33. In this assembled position, the cars 21 on both the left hand and the right hand plugs 14 are at right angles to the ear slots 22. Since the latch is operated by less than a one-quarter turn of the spindle in either direction, the knobs cannot be removed after the assembly screws 47 are threaded into the threaded holes of the assembly studs 33 to clamp the rosettes to the door. The spring latch is laterally slidable on the anchoring studs 33A and 3313 to accom modate its positioning on doors of various thicknesses.

The assembly is easily removed from a door by proceeding in steps in reverse sequence to those described, and the whole latch set is easily removed from the door. The advantages of my simple latch set will be apparent. The small number of parts and the adjustability of the assembly for different thicknesses of doors as well as for misalignment of the mounting holes gives a marked advantage in the mounting of the latch set on the door so that it will operate without binding. A simple means for r-otatably attaching the knobs to the rosettes is provided by the ears, together with the limited turning required to actuate the latch bolt. The simplicity of the construction results in lower manufacturing costs and easy interchangeability of parts.

I claim:

1. A door-knob latch set comprising a spring latch unit adapted to be mounted in a hole extending inwardly from the door edge, and having a spindle-engaging means whereby said latch is operated by a spindle turning of less than one-half revolution; a segmental cylindrical spindle adapted to actuate said latch unit, said spindle being axially removable from said latch unit; a rosette adapted to be removbly held on the face of a door by bolt means connecting with a rosette on the opposite face of the door; a door-knob having a tubular neck; and a spindle-engaging cylindrical plug non-rotatably attached in said neck, and having ears extending radially from the periphery of said plug at the end remote from said knob; said rosette having an axial bearing for said plug, said bearing having peripheral slots for said ears extending from the front to the rear faces of said bearing; said ears on said plug being positioned to rotata'b'ly secure the knob to said rosette within the limits of turning of said spindle in the actuation of said latch unit.

2. A door-knob latch set comprising a spring latch unit adapted to be mounted in a hole extending inwardly from the door edge, and having a spindle-engaging means whereby said latch is operated by a spindle turning of less than one-half revolution; a segmental cylindrical spindle adapted to actuate said latch unit, said spindle being axially removable from said latch unit; a rosette adapted to be removably held on the face of a door by bolt means connecting with a rosette on the opposite face of the door; a door-knob having a tubular neck; and a spindl engaging cylindrical plug non-rotatably attached in said neck, and having an extension inwardly of said neck, said extension having ears projecting radially from the periphery of said extension; said rosette having an axial bearing for said plug, and said bearing having longitudinal peripheral slots adapted to receive said ears on said plug; said ears on said plug being positioned to rotatably secure the knob to said rosette within the limits of turning of said spindle in the actuation of said latch unit.

3. A door-knob latch set comprising a spring latch unit adapted to be mounted in a hole extending inwardly from the door edge, and having a spindle-engaging means whereby said latch is operated by a spindle turning of less than one-fourth revolution in either direction; a segmental cylindrical spindle adapted to actuate said latch unit, said spindle being axially removable from said latch unit; a pair of rosettes adapted to be removably pressed against the opposite faces of a door by bolt means connecting them together; a pair of door knobs having tubular hubs; a spindle-engaging plug non-rotatably attached in each of said hubs, and having ears extending radially from the periphery of said plug; each of said rosettes having an axial bearing for its corresponding plug, said bearing having longitudinal peripheral slots for said ears extending from the front to the rear faces of said bearing; said ears on said plug inserts being positioned to rotatably secure each knob to its corresponding rosette within the limits of turning of said spindle in the actuation of said latch unit.

4. A door-knob latch set comprising a spring latch unit adapted to be mounted in a hole extending inwardly from the door edge, and having a spindle-engaging means whereby said latch is operated by a spindle turning of less than one-fourth revolution in either direction; a segmental cylindrical spindle adapted to actuate said latch unit, said spindle being axially removable from said latch unit; a pair of rosettes adapted to be removably pressed against the opposite faces of a door, one of said rosettes having connecting posts extending toward said other rosette; screw means to removably connect the free ends of said posts to said other rosette; a pair of door-knobs having tubular hubs; a spindle-engaging plug non-rotatably attached in each of said hubs, and having ears extending radially from the periphery of said plug; each of said rosettes having an axial bearing for its corresponding plug, each bearing having longitudinal peripheral slots for said ears extending from one face of said bearing to the other face; said ears on said plug being positioned to rotatably secure each knob to its corresponding rosette within the limits of turning of said spindle in the actuation of said latch unit, one of said rosettes having inwardly projecting anchoring studs for said spring latch unit, the bearing of said rosette being self-aligning.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

